Introduction
Its the best Sonys got. The Xperia X Performance is the chosen one to fly the banner of Sonys revamped smartphone lineup. The top of the range, the Deus ex machina, the one to make you forget about your ex - the Z-series. Or is it?
The Xperia X Performance packs Qualcomms top-end chipset of the season. Its also got a premium price tag but Sony is a premium brand to begin with and going 2 notches up or down the alphabet werent going to change that.
Still, the 2016 flagships have more RAM, more and more of them have higher-res screens, and most can do 2160p video, if nothing else its future-proofing.
Then again, stereo speakers arent too widespread among the competition and water-proofing is even harder to get - both boxes checked on the Xperia X Performance spec sheet.
So we have a rare breed of flagship on our hands. Its priced as a flagship and it has one or two features that few other flagships have, yet it doesnt strive to beat everybody else in their specs race. We sure dont know what to make of it but we bet that some further digging might show us what its all about.
Sony Xperia X Performance key features
- 5" 1,080 x 1,920px LCD display with 441ppi, X-Reality for Mobile, Triluminos technology and Dynamic Contrast Enhancer; scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating
- Android OS v6.0 Marshmallow with Xperia launcher
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset: quad-core Kryo CPU (2x2.15GHz +2x1.6GHz); Adreno 530 GPU; 3GB RAM
- 23 MP camera with 1080p@60fps video recording and tracking autofocus; 13 MP front-facing camera with 1080p@30fps video
- 32GB of built-in storage and a microSD card slot
- Sin gle and dual-SIM models (DualSIM has a hybrid slot shared with the microSD card)
- LTE Cat.9 (450/50 Mbps); Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Bluetooth v4.2
- Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic;
- 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio
- 2,700mAh non-removable battery
- Fingerprint sensor
- Stereo speakers
- IP68 rating for dust- and water-proofing
Main disadvantages
- No 4K video recording
- No FM radio (which the Xperia X has)
- Fingerprint recognition not available in the US
The absence of 4K video recording from the spec sheet is baffling. The only plausible explanation is that Sony is reserving it for an even higher-end model further down the line. But even so, the Xperia X Performance commands a flagship price, and yet its missing a feature thats taken for granted in its se gment.
The omission of fingerprint recognition for the US is an odd decision too, and one that probably has its roots in licensing and such, so we wont ponder on it too much, and let Sony deal with disgruntled US buyers. Of course, its easier for us to dismiss it - our review unit (international version) comes with all the trimmings.
The X Performance pricing is certainly ambitious, but Sonys name alone commands a price premium across their entire product portfolios. Brand loyalty is strong with the Japanese company too, and thats something you build with successful products over the years.
But lets see whether the Xperia X Performance has what it takes to carry the brands banner forward. Join us on the next page for a detailed look at the X Performances exterior.
Unboxing
The Xperia X Performa nce arrives in what appears to be a plain white box with the logo printed on top. The colors are on the inside though, a pleasant surprise for the unsuspecting buyer.
Box is final, contents arent necessarily so
Our review unit came with just a USB cable and a charger, a basic 5V/1.5A unit. We were told that our package contents arent representative of the market bundle, and indeed theres room in the box for headphones too. Whether the Sony UCH10 Quick Charger will be included is a region-dependent decision as well and may even differ from supplier to supplier so make sure you reasearch what youll find in your particular box.
Sony Xperia X Performance 360-degree spin
The Sony Xperia X Performance measures 143.7 x 70.4 x 8.7mm, which is about a millimeter more in eac h direction than the Xperia Xs dimensions. There arent many 5-inch flagships left, but the Samsung Galaxy S7, for example, manages to fit its marginally larger 5.1-inch display in an overall smaller package.
Its on the heavy side too, the X Performance, tipping the scales at 165g. The comparison to the Samsung top-model is again not in Sonys favor - the S7 is 13g lighter, while packing a 3,000mAh battery as opposed to the 2,700mAh that powers the Performance.
Hardware overview
Have an Xperia X and an Xperia X Performance side by side, and theres hardly a person outside of Sonys design department that will be able to tell their fronts apart. The Xperia X Performance is a millimeter larger in every direction but try spotting that in real life. The difference however is easily felt when you hold both models in your hands - the X Performance is thicker and heavier even though both phones have the same screen diagonal.
The resemblance to the flagship model is su rely a bonus point for the Xperia X but were not quite sure it works the other way around too.
To be fair here, well only mention that only the X Performance has the more premium brushed metal finish on the back on the gray and silver models.
Sony has always had a particular liking for the simplicity of the rectangle, corners ever so slightly rounded. The Xperia X Performance favors subtlety in design, but adds a premium touch with a curved 2.5D display glass that is a joy to swipe away at. Its scratch-resistant too, though Sony doesnt seem too keen on working with Corning, and its not Gorilla Glass-branded.
Design in keeping with tradition
The smartphone is clearly a descendant of the original Xperia Z, a design refined and polished over generations.
That said, it looks like its the Xperia Z3 that the X Performance seems to share most of its genes with - but that may be just us.
The similarity is most obvious in the two slits above and below the display, which house the stereo speakers. The top one also integrates the status LED, keeping it from spoiling the relatively clean top bezel.
Top bezel with earpiece/speaker, front camera and sensor array • nothing but a speaker sl it on the chin.
As we already stated, its the back where the Xperia X Performance differs from the vanilla Xperia X. The panels on the Graphite Black and White options have a brushed finish, while the Rose Gold and Lime Gold variants get a finer satin surface. Regardless of color and finish, the panels are all made of metal.
All color options • different finish on the rear panel
The White model is our top pick, the black one being a touch too generic, and the two shades of gold...well, lets say were obviously not the right demographic for those colors.
When we say White, it means only the front, the rear is more like what you could call Silver or Stainless steel - if youre willing to excuse your color-vocabulary-challenged writer.
The camera is in its usual position in the top left corner, the single LED flash below it. Theres a ring around the lens to serve more as a design element, rather than protection.
Brushed metal back • 23MP camera
In an odd turn of events, the frame on the Xperia X Performance, like on the Xperia X, is made of polycarbonate, contrary to what you may have assumed considering th e market segments these two smartphones occupy. Theres likely a reason for that, be it radio signal reception, assembly considerations, durability or otherwise.
Polycarbonate frame
Theres plenty of stuff going on all around the frame. The right side is the busiest, holding all of the controls. The Power button/Fingerprint reader is the centerpiece, by significance and location alike.
The reader is fast and accurate, but it may not be equally comfortable to use with either hand. Whether youre a leftie, of just prefer to use your smartphone with the left hand, unlocking with the left forefinger doesnt feel as natural as with the right thumb.
The other less than ideal bit about the Xpe ria X Performances control layout is the low position of the volume rocker. Using it requires a major readjustment of your grip, which makes for a potential dropping hazard.
The hardware two-step camera shutter release button is a rarity outside of the Sony lineup. Here, it has the added benefit of launching the camera and taking a shot in as little as 0.6s. Sony claims this is way faster than even the Xperia Z5 camera.
One thing we dont quite like about this concept is that when taking a picture before the screen is even on means framing is almost always bad.
Right side • controls
On the left side is the card tray that now gets pulled out together with the flap, which has rubber lining to ensure no water or dust enter the phone. Sony phones dont like having their SIM cards taken out without warning and restart immediately once you take out the tray. Then once again, when you insert it back in. And with the tray shared between SIM and microSD cards, the same will happen if you want to replace the microSD card.
We have got to note that on the Dual SIM model of the Xperia X Performance - the slot is actually of the Hybdird type that allows a combination of either two SIM cards or a SIM card and a microSD card. This solution has been getting quite popular lately on phones by other brands but this is perhaps the first time we see Sony utilize it as well.
Left side • card tray
At the top, theres a 3.5mm he adphone jack and a secondary mic pinhole. A standard-issue microUSB 2.0 port is on the bottom - Sonys not yet ready to make the jump to Type-C connectivity yet - not that were overeager either. The primary mic is here too.
3.5mm jack and a mic on the top • microUSB and a mike on the bottom
In the hand the Sony Xperia X Performance feels heavy and expensive. Thanks to its flat panels there isnt the subjective effect of thinn ing towards the side edges like the Galaxy S7 for example. The upside to this is that the sides give plenty of area for your fingers to secure a tight grip.
In the hand
Sony also gave us samples of the accessory cases that will be available for the Xperia X Performance - all members of the Style Cover family. All except the SBC 20 are made of soft faux leather in the same selection of colors, as are available for the phone itself. They all leave the fingerprint sensor exposed, but do cover the other buttons.
The Style Cover Touch (SCR56) is the smartest of the bunch if you could call a case that. Its front is not leather, but frosted plastic instead, so its relatively transparent with the premise to allo w you to use the phone without flipping the cover open. You pair the phone with the cover via NFC and an icon in the app drawer pops up where you can enable the covers only option - to boost the screen brightness when its closed.
The Style Cover Flip is similar, minus the transparency - so its basically a flip cover with no brains. Flipping it open does wake up the phone, so theres that.
The Style Cover SBC30 is a bumper case which protects the back and the sides, leaving the display unobstructed (unprotected too). The SBC20 does the same, but is made of clear silicone.
Style Cover Touch SCR56 • Style Cover Flip SCR58 • Style Cover SBC30 • Style Cover SBC20
Top-class 5-inch FullHD IPS display
The Xperia X Performance has a 5-inch FullHD dislpay of 441ppi. Theres a host of proprietary technologies on board. Triluminous is Sonys trademark for what is essentially a Quantum dot display, a variation of LCD panels that delivers a wider color gamut. The X-reality engine dynamically enhances images and video to provide higher contrast and improved sharpness when viewing multimedia content.
600 nits of brightness Sony claimed, and our tests very much confirm that it is indeed possible when Adaptive brightness is enabled and the phone is exposed to bright s unlight. High brightness and deep blacks make for excellent contrast in the 1500:1 ballpark, regardless of auto on or off.
The maximum brightness is about the same as on the Xperia Z5 but the screens contrast ratio has definitely been improved and by a wide margin at that.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.44 | 539 | 1219 | |
| 0.39 | 595 | 1526 | |
| 0.33 | 482 | 1461 | |
| 0.51 | 628 | 1227 | |
| 0.46 | 500 | 1094 | |
| 0.00 | 391 | ∞ | |
| 0.00 | 563 | ∞ | |
| 0.17 | 306 | 1855 | |
| 0.20 | 378 | 1881 | |
| 0.29 | 428 | 1543 | |
| 0 | 321 | ∞ | |
| 0.01 | 360 | 40000 | |
| 0.36 | 536 | 1481 | |
Color reproduction is fairly accurate, with an average DeltaE of 5.7, similar to the LG G5s 5.6, and better than the Huawei P9 (7.4) and Samsung Galaxy S7 (7.1) in their default modes. A common feature of Sony displays, the bluish whites seem to be here to stay but you wont really notice it unless you have a reference. Overall, its unlikely to bother you unless you need perfect color reproduction.
A high-quality IPS panel, the Xperia X Performances display does very well in the sunlight too. Its not in AMOLED territory, but is one of the better LCDs in this respect, according to our tests.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Gal axy S7 edge
4.439 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Apple iPhone 6
3.838 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Xiaomi Mi 5
3.24 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Apple iPhone 6 Plus
3.023 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - LG V10
2.744 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
2.378 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - LG Aka
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One
1.961 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - Meizu m2 note
1.892 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 - HTC Butterfly
1.873 - ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759 - Sony Xperia U
1.758 - Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675 - ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659 - Jolla Jolla
1.605 - Motorola Moto E
1.545 - Sony Xperia M
1.473 - Xiaomi Redmi 2
1.311 - Sony Xperia C
1.283 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
Connectivity
The Xperia X Performance is well stocked on connectivity options. Our review unit is the single-SIM version (F8131 model name), but theres also a dual-SIM one (F8132). The slot in that case is of the hybrid variety though - its either a second SIM or a microSD card - you cant have all three.
LTE Cat. 9 (450Mbps down, 50Mbps up) is an upgrade over t he Xperia Xs Cat6. Sony also states that signal reception has gotten 25% more stable than on the Z5 - with better call quality and data throughput at any given distance from the cell tower.
The phone also comes equipped with dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac with 2x2 MIMO antennas. Local connectivity goes on with Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX and Low Energy, and NFC.
The Wi-Fi connection can be used for screen casting - either via Miracast or Google Cast. If you connect a DualShock controller, the Xperia X Performance can become a portable console. It can also connect to your cars stereo system via MirrorLink.
The microUSB 2.0 port lets you charge the phone as well as hook up USB storage and accessories. Youll need to select the data transfer mode every time you connect it to a PC, as it defaults to charge only.
The port is MHL-enabled if you need a wired TV out instead.
The Xperia X Performance has no FM radio though, which the plain Xperia X offers.
Sony Xp eria X Performance battery life
The Sony Xperia X Performance is powered by a 2,700mAh battery - a modest 80mAh boost over the Xperia X. Last years Xperia Z5 had a 2,900mAh cell, but a larger 5.2-inch display, while the Xperia Z5 Compact stood at 4.6 inches and 2,700mAh. It looks like Sony isnt too keen on putting excessively large batteries, focusing on efficiency instead.
Premium FullHD 5-inchers with top notch chipsets arent too common anymore to make a direct comparison. The Huawei P9 has the same resolution as the X Performance, but on a marginally larger diagonal (5.2") and Huawei has fitted a 3,000mAh battery inside. The same goes for the Xiaomi Mi 5 if you round up its 5.15-inch diagonal. Then again the 5.2-inch FullHD Nexus 5X also relies on a 2,700mAh capacity.
The QHD screen resolution camp is represented by the Samsung Galaxy S7 (5.1"), the HTC 10 (5.2") and the LG G5 (5.3"), which all have similar screen sizes. The first two are powered by 3,000mAh ba tteries, with the G5, which has the largest screen in the group, packing the smallest battery (2,800mAh).
Capacity and screen area alone dont tell us the full story though, thats why we have our own tests. Well, we carried them out on the Xperia X Performance and the results are in.
The Xperia X Performance shows a balanced performance in all our tests with average to good results across the board. The smartphone made it just short of 21 hours on a 3G voice call, around 7 and half hours browsing the web over Wi-Fi and a little more than 8 hours in video playback. The fact that its numbers are so consistent shows that it simply could have benefited from a larger battery.
What that means is that the Xperia X Performance will last you about 2 hours less than the plain X in both screen-on tests. With the displays being identical, wed guess the powerful Snapdragon 820 is also more power-hungry, at least more so than the S650 found in the Xperia X.
The quick flagship comparison reveals that the Xperia X Performance is tied with the HTC in voice calls, both comfortably ahead of the G5 (17:37) and the P9 (14:53h).
In the web browsing department, the Xperia X is the one that dies first, but the G5s 12 minutes more dont make a world of difference. Only the Mi 5 goes into double-digit hours (okay, well into double-digit hours at 12:50).
There is a bit more of the same for the Xperia X Performance in the video playback test, where it ends up last in the flagship short list. The Huawei P9 (8:46h) and HTC 10 (8:42) dont fare any better, and the Galaxy S7 is the clear winner here (14:50h).
On a positive note, the Xperia X Performance supports Quick Charge 2.0. Strangely, its not the latest Quick Charge 3.0 seen on the other flagship phones with the Snapdragon 820 but perhaps the reason for that is another new technology the phone comes equipped with. The Xperia X Performance comes with the Qnovo adaptive technology for smart control of the battery charging process much like the rest of the phones in Sonys current smartphone generation.
Qnovos technology monitors the cells electrochemical processes in real-time, allowing for minimizing of cell damage and extending the battery lifespan. Qnovo claims the battery should last hundreds of charge cycles more than a conventionally charged battery. This means a year or two of extra longevity and if the battery ages better it will hopefully be able to hold charge better down the line (and this is potentially important for a phone that has its battery sealed).
The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case youre interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones weve tested will compare under your own typical use.
Marshmallow with a dash of Xperia
Sonys new X line of smartphones comes with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box. As usual, a few proprietary apps and features are baked in as well, but the companys always had a light touch when it comes to modding Android.
Keep in mind we use "light" in terms of the number of changes it makes, not how much storage it uses up. The X Performance is available with 32GB or 64GB of internal memory of which youre left with either 20GB or 48.6GB. On the positive side, if you need more storage, you can always add a microSD card unlike with many of the phones competitors.
The fingerprint reader is a recent addition to the Xperia line and Sony firmly believes the best place for it is on the side, integrated into the Power button. We cant deny the convenience, as waking the screen and unlocking th e phone are tightly related. It just isnt equally well suited to use with both hands.
Smart Lock gives you conditional security - trusted nearby devices, locations, faces, or voices can allow you to skip the security unlock protocol.
Lockscreen • Lockscreen settings
Theres optional double-tap-to-wake if you just need to check notifications (theres a notification LED in the top lou dspeaker too). Then theres double-tap-to-sleep, so you can send the phone to standby by tapping on an empty area. If youre in a fullscreen app, tapping on the notification bar wont do it though.
Also, the first feature is in the display settings, the second - in the homescreen settings. While theres clearly a logic behind such an arrangement, perhaps the best logic would be to have the two in one place, maybe?
Tap to wake up (by double-tap) in Display settings • Double-tap to sleep in Homescreen settings
We had a good experience with the fingerprint reader. Its fast and fairly accurate. Theres an animation that slides the lo ckscreen away from your thumb (as if you pushed it out of the way), which helps hide the small delay, so it feels seamless.
Its the same animation thats played when you unlock with an upward swipe if youre not using any form of lockscreen security - its a bit disconcerting to swipe up but have the lockscreen fade out to the left. You also cant swipe right to unlock - its either left or up. We feel Sony could have worked a bit more on the user-friendliness of this interface.
The homescreen appears unchanged. This includes the swipe down gesture, which shows a screen of the apps you use most along with recommendations for new apps to install. A search field is highlighted so you can start typing the apps name immediately.
Homescreen • App suggestions and search
The traditional app drawer is still on board and it features an above average amount of vendor apps. Sony takes great pride in their AV prowess, so there is now way that they could have gone for the stock multimedia apps made by Google.
Standard app drawer
Themes are available (both free and paid) that can customize the look and sound of the Xperia X Performance UI.
Xperia themes
The notification area is plain Android. You can re-arrange the quick toggle tiles and adjust the screen brightness. Note that just like in vanilla Android, theres no toggle for Auto brightne ss (you need to go into the settings for that). Thats the one thing we dont mind skins changing and still, many manufacturers like to keep it stock.
Notification area is vanilla Android
The app switcher is similarly a vanilla Android affair with the 3D rolodex look. The small apps are gone, however, and there is no longer floating app multitasking.
What there is, is screen pinning, which locks the display on the current app, blocks incoming calls and prevents other apps from retrieving your location. You can think of it as a Toddl er mode. To get out of it simply press and hold the back and recent apps keys simultaneously.
So is the app switcher (note: no small apps) • screen pinning
The Smart cleaner feature will periodically empty the cache of apps you havent used in a while. You can switch this off or just manually tell it not to bother for certain apps.
Smart cleaner frees up memory of both kinds
One thing Android has been missing for years is a proper backup solution and Sony gives you one. It can backup applications, contacts, messages, phone settings. The backup info itself can be stored on your Sony online account, on the microSD card or an exte rnal USB device.
Backups can be scheduled, including conditions like "Connected to Wi-Fi" and "Charging device", depending on your preferences.
Scheduled backups are the best way to prevent data loss< /span>
Synthetic benchmarks
The Xperia X Performance is the top dog in Sonys X-series and as such, it gets Qualcomms most powerful chipset available - the Snapdragon 820. The SoC of choice for many of this years flagships can be found in the LG G5, some versions of the Galaxy S7 / S7 edge, and the HTC 10, to name the most prominent ones.
All of them have 4GB of RAM, while the Xperia X Performance makes do with just 3GB. "Just" as in not necessarily insufficient, but rather not quite in tune with the competition. Well have to investigate whether this deficiency would show through in benchmarks scores.
Weve had all those at the office already, plus the Xiaomi Mi 5 and the LeEco Le Max 2, so we have a pretty accurate notion of what to expect from the top-end Snapdragon. Indeed, the Xperia X Perfor mance typically scores in the same ballpark as other models with the Qualcomm chip.
Weve thrown some alternatively-powered flagships into the fight, too: the Galaxy S7 (Exynos 8890 chipset) Huawei P9 (Kirin 955), Mate 8 (Kirin 950), Meizu Pro 6 (Helio X25), Pro 5 (Exynos 7420), as well last years Xperia Z5 (Snapdragon 810).
Starting with the basics - raw CPU power. In single-core GeekBench the Xperia X Performance is the lowest-ranking of the big-name Snapdragon 820 models, but the differences are marginal at best - the HTC has the highest-scoring Kryo core here, by a whopping 4%. A single Twister core in the Apple A9 chipset is still leading the flagship pack, though.
GeekBench 3 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 6s
2542 - HTC 10
2368 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
2345 - LG G5
2328 - Xiaomi Mi 5
2305 - Sony Xperia X Performance
2273 - Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
2170 - LeEco Le Max 2
2118 - Meizu Pro 6
1905 - Huawei P9
1819 - Meizu Pro 5
1545 - Sony Xperia X
1367
The Xperia X Performance does a better job putting all cores to work. In the GeekBench multi-core test it outpaces all other Snap dragon 820s - admittedly, by a very small margin. There is, however, a very wide gap between Sonys flagship and non-Qualcomm rivals - the Kirin 955 tops this chart, inside the Huawei P9, followed by the Helio X25 (using the Pro 6 as a vehicle). The Galaxy S7s Exynos 8890 is also comfortably ahead of the Xperia X Perfomance.
GeekBench 3 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Huawei P9
6558 - Meizu Pro 6
6427 - Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
6360 - Huawei Mate 8
6323 - Meizu Pro 5
5578 - Sony Xperia X Performance
5460 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
5420 - LG G5
5362 - Xiaomi Mi 5
5358 - HTC 10
5257 - LeEco Le Max 2
5026 - Apple iPhone 6s
4427 - Sony Xperia Z5
4017 - Sony Xperia X
3796
Basemark II 2.0 adds RAM and storage tests on top of CPU ones to give a better indication of overall performance. The Xperia X Performance posts excellent numbers neck and neck with the Xiaomi Mi 5. Kirins and Helios sit lower on this chart, but so do the G5 and HTC 10.
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
2352 - Apple iPhone 6s
2195 - Xiaomi Mi 5
2180 - Sony Xperia X Performance
2179 - Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
2128 - Huawei P9
2068 - LG G5
2065 - LeEco Le Max 2
2063 - Huawei Mate 8
2017 - Meizu Pro 6
1919 - HTC 10
1839 - Meizu Pro 5
1837 - Sony Xperia X
1714 - Sony Xperia Z5
1482
In the next compound benchmark, Antutu 6, the roles are oddly reversed. Here the rest of S820 bunch is well ahead of the Xperia, to the tune of 13-15%. The X Performance does leave both the Helio X25 and Kirin 955 behind, by about as much as it trails its S820 rivals.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- HTC 10
154031 - LG G5
134541 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
132849 - Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
13208 4 - Xiaomi Mi 5
131758 - Apple iPhone 6s
129990 - LeEco Le Max 2
129461 - Sony Xperia X Performance
116217 - Meizu Pro 6
99195 - Huawei P9
98069 - Huawei Mate 8
91609 - Sony Xperia X
77537 - Meizu Pro 5
67531
In the graphics department, the Performances already top-class Adreno 530 GPU gets the additional benefit of the FullHD resolution. We do realize that QHD means 80% more pixels over FullHD, so the trade-off is clear from the get-go.
In the onscreen tests in GFXBench (rendered in the each devices native resolution) the Xperia easily tops the charts. The Xiaomi Mi 5 (which also shies away from QHD resolution) is very close, yet a frame or two behind. In the very demanding 3.1 Manhattan and 3.1 Car scene tests, competing flagships with QHD resolution can only manage about half the frame rate of the Sony (and the Mi5, of course).
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
32 - HTC 10
31 - LG G5
30 - Sony Xperia X Performance
30 - Xiaomi Mi 5
30 Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
28LeEco Le Max 2
28Sony Xperia Z5
18Meizu Pro 5
14Meizu Pro 6
11Huawei Mate 8
10Huawei P9
10Sony Xperia X
9.2
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
Sony Xperia X Performance
31Xiaomi Mi 5
2 9Sony Xperia Z5
19Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
16LG G5
15HTC 10
15Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
15LeEco Le Max 2
15Meizu Pro 5
14Huawei P9
11Huawei Mate 8
11Meizu Pro 6
11Sony Xperia X
10
GFX 3.1 Car scene (offscreen)
Higher is better
HTC 10
18Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
18Sony Xperia X Performance
17Xiaomi Mi 5
17LG G5
16LeEco Le Max 2
16Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
15Huawei P9
6.5Meizu Pro 6
6.4Sony Xperia X
5.3
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Sony Xperia X Performance
18 - Xiaomi Mi 5
17 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
10 - HTC 10
9.9 - LG G5
8.8 - LeEco Le Max 2
8.8 - Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
7.9 - Huawei P9
7.1 - Meizu Pro 6
6.4 - Sony Xperia X
5.9
In the OpenGL ES 3.1-enabled Basemark ES 3.1, the Xperia X Performa nce doesnt score particularly high for the chipset. Its a bit odd, given that it topped the GFXBench chart for the same API. The minor positive note here is that the Le Max 2 is still further behind.
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 6s
879 - Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
732 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
624 - LG G5
587 - Xiaomi Mi 5
580 - Sony Xperia X Performance
564 - LeEco Le Max 2
517 - Meizu Pro 5
409 - Huawei P9
341 - Huawei Mate 8
311 - Sony Xperia X
251
In the older Basemark X the Xperia is on par with the HTC 10, both towards the back of the S820 pack. Its the Mi 5 and the Le Max 2 that lead the way, with the two different versions of the Galaxy S7 closely behind.
Basemark X
Higher is better
- LeEco Le Max 2
33874 - Xiaomi Mi 5
33110 - Samsung Galaxy S7 (E8890)
32345 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SD820)
32160 - LG G5
29456 - HTC 10
28882 - Sony Xperia X Performance
28450 - Sony Xperia Z5
23923 - Meizu Pro 5
20038 - Huawei P9
16942 - Huawei Mate 8
15593 - Meizu Pro 6
15209 - Sony Xperia X
15087
Overall, the Xperia X Performances name is very much justified. The mighty Snapdragon 820 chipset with good optimization on Sonys part means heaps of computational power.
The conservative choice of screen resolution coupled wi th one of the best GPUs on the market, on the other hand, result in excellent graphics performance too.
So after all, the difference in the RAM amount may not be that important or as easy to spot in benchmarking.
Phone
We have a single-SIM Sony Xperia X Performance, but there is a dual-SIM version if you need an extra phone line. Either model has active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic.
The call log can be filtered by missed, incoming and outgoing calls.
Dialer with smart dial • Call log • Call log filtering • Phonebook
The Xperia Xs also share a fairly unique feature, a built-in answering machine. It picks up an incoming call, plays your greeting and would later replay your friends messages. You can set up your greeting and pickup conditions.
The Xperia X has a built-in answering machine
Loudspeaker
The Sony Xperia X Performance has a pair of speakers that can output stereo sound. In terms of loudness, the pho ne fell in the Below average category on our loudspeaker test, much like the Xperia X, though there were minor differences. Among the top-shelf competitors, the G5 and the P9 are the ones to score noticeably higher.
What the X Performance lacks in punch, though, it makes up for in quality. Even at maximum volume the sound is clean with great definition and no signs of distortion.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing | Overall score | |
| 61.3 | 61.1 | 65.7 | Below Average | |
| 61.9 | 66.0 | 62.1 | Below Average | |
| 62.2 | 62.0 | 66.7 | Below Average | |
| 65.1 | 62.3 | 66.3 | Below Average | |
| 66.5 | 64.6 | 65.8 | Below Average | |
| 67.2 | 64.6 | 66.6 | Below Average | |
| 63.1 | 66.7 | 74.3 | Average | |
| 66.3 | 66.7 | 71.7 | Average | |
| 68.7 | 66.2 | 73.2 | Good | |
| 72.1 | 66.6 | 75.6 | Good | |
| 69.8 | 66.6 | 82.7 | Very Good | |
| 73.7 | 68.6 | 82.9 | Very Good | |
| 75.7 | 73.5 | 79.5 | Excellent | |
| 75.7 | 73.5 | 80.7 | Excellent |
Messaging
The Sony Xperia X Performance has a beautiful Material design messaging app. It feels like the instant messengers you might be used to, including conversations wallpapers and cute stickers you can send.
Ours came with panda stickers pre-installed, but you can download more (free and paid sticker packs are available). You can also send your own creations drawn in the Sketch (obviously, this changes the message type to MMS).
Messaging app • Stickers are available, just like in chat apps
For text entry, Sony picked the SwiftKey keyboard. It became popular for its swipe input, but regular tap-typing with text correction is available as well.
Customizeable SwiftKey keyboard
The keyboard is highly customizable - you can change the layout, choose what characters are available (accented characters, emoji), enable a number row, resize the keyboard or even undock it. The Messaging app also handles voice input.
Other apps
Lifelog tracks a host of daily activities, including walking, running and sleeping, but also the music you listen and the photos you take or the apps you use. It then presents the info in a split-screen view with a timeline on top and detailed numbers on the bottom.
Lifelog tracks more than just steps and calories
TrackID is Sonys trusted song recognition software, which has since evolved way past that. It can now show you music charts by country, give you live updates on recent searches across the world, and store your search history as well.
TrackID
Sonys Album is one great gallery app
The Album app is among the most comprehensive and feature-rich weve seen, its fast and easy to use, too! Photos are organized by month, and you can use pinch-zoom to change the size of thumbnails (then they smoothly animate into the grid).
At the very top of the list is a slideshow, showing off your photos, lower down, the first photo of each month is shown at twice the size of other images.
The Album app is beautiful and functional
You can instead browse photos on a map (you can manually add geotag info too) or by folder. This includes network storage so that you can view photos from a DLNA server (your home computer for one). Then theres integration with online albums - Facebook, Picasa, Flickr.
Image editing is handled by several apps, including Sketch and Sticker maker (so you can create your own custom stickers to send to your friends).
Sketch lets you fingerpaint over a photo or a paper-like texture, add text, stickers, photos and so on. If youre talented, you can share your creations on the Sketch mini-social network, and if youre not, you can just browse what others drew.
Sketch is a fun image editor with a mini social network for sharing art
Movie Creator is similar to the Assistant of Google Photos. It automatically creates short videos from the photos and videos youve shot.
You can do it manually too: pick photos and videos, change their order, add color effects and music (you get a small audio collection to start you off, but can use custom files too). Then tap the Share button and send out your animated slideshow.
The Movie Creator can automatically or manually make shareable slideshows
We mentioned it in the Display section, but well repeat it here. The Sony software uses image enhancements to make even average-looking photos pop. You can choose from Off, X-reality (sharpen and boost contrast) and Super-vivid.
Screen settings
Music app
The Music app feels like a part of the same software package as the rest of the custom Sony stuff. The contextual side menu offers much of the same browsing options - by folder, network folder and online services, in this case, Spotify (its just a link to the Spotify app though). You can share music from the phone to compatible players.
Music app
The Infinite button as such is gone, but its functionality is still here in the menu. It can find the tracks video on YouTube, look up info about the artist on Wikipedia and search for lyrics on Google. Gracenote is used here too and it can automatically download information about your tracks and album art.
The Music app offers a variety of audio settings - ClearAudio+ determines the best audio quality settings depending on the track youre listening to. We liked how it changed the sound and carefully accentuated various details.
Then theres DSEE HX, which uses an almost wizardly algorithm , which is supposed to restore or rather extrapolate compressed music files, like MP3s into high-res audio. According to Sony, the result is near Hi-Res Audio Quality. We arent quite sure about that, but the processing does seem to boost quality quite noticeably. Also, it only works with wired headphones.
Dynamic normalizer evens out the volume differences across tracks, which is great if youve mixed multiple albums from multiple sources.
Audio settings
Video
The Movies app is gone, a simpler Video app takes its place. The app is simpler to use - you pick a file from one of the local folders or your home network. You can also use the Search feature to look up videos on YouTube. The app is missing the HTPC-like functionality though, which pulled movie and TV show info automatically.
A chapter view lets you find a specific part of the video, by letting you scrub through a virtual timeline.
Video player
Videos can continue playing in the background (its an option), but you cant view the video in a small floating window. At least you get full subtitle settings.
Audio output is nicely cle an
The Sony Xperia X Performance delivered excellently clean output when used with an active external amplifier, getting top marks across the board. Unfortunately, its output loudness was below average so it’s not all perfect.
Degradation caused by headphones is minimal with a contained hike in stereo crosstalk and a few other minor glitches that are impossible to detect without lab equipment. Volume remained low, but it’s a very good showing nonetheless.
And now here go the results so you can do your comparison.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| Sony Xperia X Performance | +0.01, -0.04 | -95.2 | 90.0< /td> | 0.0038 | 0.011 | -95.1 |
| Sony Xperia X Performance (headphones) | +0.23, -0.17 | -93.2 | 89.3 | 0.0078 | 0.174 | -64.9 |
| LG G5 | +0.01, -0.04 | -92.6 | 92.6 | 0.0051 | 0.0096 | -93.3 |
| LG G5 (headphones) | +0.05, -0.01 | -92.2 | 92.3 | 0.0029 | 0.037 | -50.7 |
| Xiaomi Mi 5 | +0.01, -0.03 | -95.3 | 95.1 | 0.0034 | 0.0065 | -95.1 |
| Xiaomi Mi 5 (headphones) | +0.01, -0.03 | -95.2 | 95.1 | 0.0027 | 0.013 | -71.5 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 | +0.01, -0.04 | -92.5 | 92.6 | 0.0027 | 0.0078 | -92.7 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 (headphones) | +0.05, -0.05 | -91.9 | 92.1 | 0.0044 | 0.063 | -73.4 |
| +0.01, -0.04 | -95.5 | 89.5 | 0.0033 | 0.012 | -94.8 | |
| +0.22, -0.24 | -95.1 | 89.5 | 0.0057 | 0.212 | -59.8 | |
| +0.03, -0.04 | -93.5 | 93.5 | 0.0016 | 0.0075 | -73.2 | |
| +0.10, -0.06 | -93.8 | 93.9 | 0.0030 | 0.101 | -68.2 |
Sony Xperia X Performance frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Camera
The Sony Xperia X Performance and the Xperia X share the same camera setup - a 23MP Type 1/2.3" Exmor RS sensor, 24mm equivalent lens with f/2.0 aperture. Theres no optical image stabilization but Sonys latest Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) tech strives to make videos nice looking and fluid. There is also the added convenience of having a physical camera shutter key, which is a rarity these days.
The big addition in this camera generation is the Predictive Hybrid Autofocus. You can tap on your subject and the camera will track its movement, keeping the focus locked on it. This is great for subjects who would move all around the scene such as a toddler.
The X Perfromances camera lets you capture moments in the blink of an eye - from a locked phone, it takes a mere 0.6 seconds to capture the first shot. To use that feature, you need to enable taking a photo when waking the camera with the shutter key in Settings.
The feature worked as fast as advertised and took the shot before we even got the chance to see the camera viewfinder. Then again, a lot of the photos came out blurry because we were still adjusting the framing of the scene while the phone took the pics. So while image capture is awesomely fast, you still need to adjust your shooting style to make best use of it.
Camera interface
Sonys latest camera UI is fairly streamlined (as seen in the Z5 series as well). You change modes by swiping up and down (or left and right, if youre holding it in portrait). Superior Auto will probably be the main mode you use, but theres a Manual option too. However, it is quite limited as you can change ISO and white balance, thats it.
The Camera App tab holds some useful features and some features, which are just there for fun. Some of the available modes are Sweep Panorama, Slow-motion video, Face in picture, Sound Photo and a few more. Those are the pre-installed modes, more can be downloaded.
The selfie cam has pretty much the same features aside from minor differences (no ISO in manual mode). It even reminds you to look at the camera lens when taking a photo.
Image quality
Being the same camera as in the Xperia X, the one in the Xperia X Performance unsurprisingly performs identically. In resolved detail its 23MP sensor can easily outdo any competitor, as evidenced by our test charts. And thats while the wide 24-millimeter lens captures more in its frame than any of the competitors. Sharpness is not as high around the corners but thats usually the case with such wide-angle lenses.
The photos are also contrasty and nicely saturated. Colors are rendered conservatively, which is also good to keep in mind, as the various display enhancements show more punch in the gallery than there actually is in the photo.
Au tofocus speed is an area where the X Performance does an admirable job. It cant compete with the Galaxy S7 and its 12 million phase detection pixels, but its among the fastest auto focus systems on a cameraphone and its quite dependable. The predictive autofocus works just advertised too - especially when you have the right scene and subject - say, a toddler or a puppy.
Unfortunately, while the level of resolved detail is generally very high, youd best stay away from pixel peeping. The combination of noise and noise reduction leaves a particular grain throughout the frame, which doesnt look good from up close. Its not the good kind of grain that provides a nice natural texture - it looks plain artificial and it takes a toll on areas of uniform textures and vegetation.
The camera also struggles with dynamic range and often clips the highlights when faced with difficult high-contrast scenes. Its not so much of a downside, just something to be aware of.
Camera samples - Manual
The difference between Superior Auto and Manual has shrunk, now that we can select full resolution for Superior Auto (since the Xperia Z5). With all 23 megapixels available, theres really no reason not to use it. It shows you whic h mode it chooses so it may even be educational to beginner photography enthusiasts.
Camera samples - Superior Auto
In low-light, the 23 megapixel camera quickly loses its resolution advantage over its competitors and the limited dynamic range becomes even more apparent. The level of noise however is quite tolerable so we were happy with the results even when pixel-peeping.
Sonys HDR implementation is one of the most subtle around. You have two options - let Superior Auto engage it for you when it sees fit, or switch to manual and flip the toggle yourself. Again, the effect is so minor, that Superior Auto seems to be the better option.
HDR scenario: Superior Auto • Manual (HDR off) • Manual (HDR on)
Naturally, we shot our test posters w ith the Sony Xperia X Performance and heres how it fared next to the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5. Of course, our tool allows you to compare it against any other smartphone that weve shot with.
Sony Xperia X Performance in our photo compare tool
Panorama
Weve gotten to a point where weve just given up on hoping for an Xperia that shoots decent panoramas. It starts with the interface that forces you to select which way you intend to swipe, instead of recognizing it for you.
The panoramas are mere 1080 pixels tall, regardless of whether youre shooting in landscape or portrait. Little resolved detail, stitching issues - theres not much to like about them.
Panorama sample shots in portrait
Panorama sample shots in landscape
Selfie camera
The front camera is equally impressive. It has a 1/3" Exmor RS sensor with 13MP resolution and f/2.0 G Lens. Its the kind of setup some lower-end phones would use for their main camera.
Sony tech promises good performance in low light and smartly adjust the shutter speed based on movement in the scene - a static scene gets a long exposure time to reduce noise, a dynamic scene a short one to reduce motion blur.
The front-facing camera of the Xperia X Performance is capable of some great high-res selfies. To get the most detail out of it, make sure you turn off the S oft Skin effect from settings (a separate toggle for Superior Auto and Manual, mind you).
The improved low-light capabilities of the front facing camera meant we got nicely exposed photos even in the dark. Unfortunately, the front camera’s autofocus is a hit-and-miss in the dark. Once light levels drop, the images turn inexplicably soft so much so that its as if the auto focus system stops working.
S elfie samples: Bright sunlight • elevator (a must for selfie lovers, but crazy difficult light) • in the shade • in dim light
Video quality
The source of perhaps the greatest disappoint about the Xperia X Performance - it cant shoot 4K videos. Or rather it can (the hardware certainly supports it), but Sony didnt choose to enable it. Video recording tops out at 1080p/60fps, and you have the regular 30fps speed too.
The standard 1080p/30fps mode is encoded at about 17.5Mbps, on par with the competitors. The smoother 1080p/60fps gets a 30Mbps bit rate. Audio is recorded in stereo at 156Kbps, regardless of the video setting.
We might have been inclined to go easier on the X Performance if its 1080p videos were really great. The thing is they arent quite up there with the best on the market. Theres the compression-induced oscillation we witnessed on the Xperia X in action-heavy scenes. The resolved detail is about average, and not at the le vel of the G5s and Galaxy S7s of the world.
You can also download the untouched video samples: 1080p at 30fps (11s, 23.9MB), 1080p at 60fps (11s, 40.6MB).
You can also compare the Xperia X Performance to any of the numerous phones and tablets weve tested, but weve pre-selected the Galaxy S7 and the LG G5.
Sony Xperia X Performance in our video compare tool
Final words
We started with a question and were still struggling for an answer. The Xperia X Performance couldve been better - or cheaper - or couldve come sooner. Now, theres little anyone can do about any of those... But wed be darned if there isnt an Xperia X Premium or Pro, or Plus, or whatever, in the works.
How so? Well, theres just too many areas, where Sony held back, as if deliberately leaving some headroom for the lineup to grow up in display size and resolution, or in video recording and battery life.
Sony Xperia X Performance key test findings
- High-quality build, brushed metal back shouts "premium" while the polycarbonate frame sits unobtrusively in the corner.
- Excellent display with high contrast and maximum brightness, and good in bright daylight. Fairl y accurate color reproduction is marred by bluish whites, though.
- Average battery life - 61h endurance rating.
- Vanilla Android experience, Sonys changes are subtle and welcome. Small apps are gone along with the screen recording feature and may be missed by some, but theres screen pinning now (Toddler mode) and Sonys trademark Stamina mode is back after being absent for a while from Sonys Android Marshmallow builds.
- Top-tier benchmark performance, the Snapdragon 820 proves itself once again.
- Rich multimedia app package courtesy of Sony.
- Below average loudspeaker loudness, very clean output though.
- Same for audio quality - excellent marks for clarity, below average in the loudness department.
- 23MP camera captures a lot of detail and has one of the fastest autofocus and startup times, but images also come with plenty of noise and certain softness around the corners.
- 13MP selfies come out quite detailed in bright daylight, but focusing is badly impaired in low light.
A few inevitable comparisons within the Sony lineup are due. For one, the plain Xperia X is less expensive (not that its anything close to affordable) and yet its basically the same phone, save for the weaker chipset and lack of water-proofing. Except that it has better battery life, and that midrange chipset pulls off quite a good showing.
Then theres the Xperia Z5, the last flagship from the pre-X era. Its chipset may be last-years issue, but its flagship-grade, and its at least put to good use crunching 4K videos, something the Xperia X Performance doesnt get to do. With few (if any) meaningful differences between the two, the Z5 is a steal at €250/$250 cheaper than the X Performance.
Sony Xperia X • Sony Xperia Z5
The Samsung Galaxy S7 is the flagship to beat this season, and the Xperia will have a tough time against it. The IP rating cant settle it here, the Xperia X Performance has a higher-res camera - close to twice the MP count actually... and thats about it. The S7 has a higher battery capacity (and longer battery life), wireless charging, 4K recording, OIS, Samsung Pay in an increasing number of markets, higher-res AMOLED display - theres probably more. Did we mention the Galaxy S7 is €100/$100 cheaper? In fact, for the X Performances money, you can get an S7 edge with perhaps some change to spare.
Samsung Galaxy S7 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
The HTC 10 is priced in the X Performances ballpark, so this should be a fight on the merits. The HTC 10 is ar guably the looker of the two, but with its IP53 rating where immersion is out of the question it pales in comparison to the Xperias IP68 spec. The 10s got a higher-res display, more RAM, and 4K video recording, but stills are 12MP only vs the Xperias 23MP. The Type-C connector on the HTC flagship will have you nicely future-proofed though.
HTC 10
The LG G5 is the only current flagship with a removable battery, and its also big on modularity. You can install an additional audio amp or add a camera grip with some more battery inside - handy, as the G5 is the only direct competitor that the Xperia X Performance can actually outperform battery-life-wise. The G5 has 2 cameras on its back, which can both record 4K video - thats two more than the Xperia.
Another similarly equipped competitor, the Xiaomi Mi 5 squeezes out substantially longer endurance from its slightly higher-capacity battery, and it weighs 36g less than the Xperia. 4K video, OIS, USC Type-C, Quick Charge 3.0 - the Mi 5 has them all, the X Performance has none. What it does offer on top of the Mi 5 is a microSD slot. However, in regions where you can get a Mi 5 to begin with, its price starts at a third of the X Performances. Sure, we know, Xiaomi is no Sony, but smartphones have already turned into a commodity and as such, they compete based on price and features and in some departments, its almost like Sonys bringing a knife to a gun fight.
Xiaomi Mi 5
The Xperia X Performance is certainly the best smartphone the companys lineup has to offer. Which, as it stands, is not really enough to m ake it a meaningful competitor against Sonys own from last year, let alone reigning heavyweights from other major brands. That is, if youre price-conscious enough to make your buying decisions based on price/feature ratio. Sonys brand has always transcended mere feature count so were about to see whether their product strategy will turn out a success.
! ( hope useful)
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